In many ways, it was a remarkable performance, given McCartney had only completed a full training session (using her competition run up) once in the last five months, due to the need to carefully manage her ongoing Achilles issues.
Despite that limited preparation, McCartney got through qualification then was in the mix in the final, close to clearing 4.80m on her second attempt. It means she can look ahead with confidence.
“I’m so ready for the next four years,” said McCartney. “I’m ready for the rest of this season. I want to keep jumping. I feel like I’m just managing to get back into it again after having a few months where I was having some issues. I’m feeling good about where I’m at and I hope I can do a couple more competitions this year.”
Her mindset is a complete turnaround from the feeling after the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. After that competition - where she failed to clear a single attempt - she wondered if Paris might be the end. Now it feels like a new beginning.
“I’m really happy with what I was able to do,” said McCartney. “It was pretty big ask for me to get to these Olympics, to get through a qualifier and then to jump two days later. That’s not something that’s easy at the moment. I was just lacking at every moment, so every bar I cleared was like a bonus to me. I know that there’s more so I just need to look after myself and when those moments come, when my body is good, then I’ve got to make the most of them.”
When her competition ended McCartney went to the grandstand for an extended chat with her coach Scott Simpson, who McCartney credits with rebuilding her mindset over the last 12 months. McCartney said they were both disappointed about her preparation but had to “deal with the cards they had”.
“There’s been a lot of tough decisions over the last couple of months,” said McCartney. “Not competing and I’ve only done one training session on full run up. So to be here ls a huge testament to his decision-making and how we work together.”
McCartney also ran to the far stands for an embrace with her family, who always follow her to major competitions. And she is looking forward to catching up with her partner, fellow Olympian and kite foiler Lukas Walton-Keim., who has been competing 800km away in Marseille but will soon arrive in the Athletes village in the capital.
“We’ll be able be here together,” said McCartney. “It’s a dream true that we’ve been able to do this together and both compete on the Olympics.”
With the extended field of 19, Wednesday’s competition started earlier than originally scheduled at 6.30pm local time. It meant they had to stop regularly, with victory ceremonies and other interruptions.
McCartney passed at 4.40 - the only one in the field to do so but then confidently cleared 4.60m and 4.70m on her first attempts. She went close to repeating the dose at 4.80, brushing the bar with her second jump but it wasn’t to be. “I thought I had it,” said McCartney. “I just wasn’t quite as prepared as I needed to be, wasn’t quite making the jump work.”
McCartney was also thrilled to have two other Kiwis beside her in the final. Imogen Ayris cleared 4.60m (a personal best) to finish 12th while Olivia McTaggart was one place further back in 13th.
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.
